Supplementary memorandum submitted by
the Home Office
When I appeared before the Home Affairs Committee
on 22 May, I undertook to write to you about the definition of
"front-line policing".
The Frontline Policing Measure for 2005-06 indicated
that officers in England and Wales spent 63.1% of their time on
frontline duties.
The frontline policing measure was introduced
in 2003-04 and is based on forces' activity analysis data and
on HMIC function codes.
The FLP has been a useful indicator and helped
police authorities in holding forces to account. It is not a measure
of visibility. The headline measure provides a picture of time
spent by police officers on core operational activity. The broader
measure provides a picture of time spent by the whole workforce
on core operational activity.
Full details of the formula used to calculate
the measure and complete lists of frontline roles and activities
are contained in the Guidance on Statutory Performance Indicators
for Policing 2006-07, published by the Police Standards Unit
and available at:
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/performance-and-measurement/SPI_Technical_Guidelines_2Q4.pdf?view=Binary
Copies of this guidance have also been placed
in the House of Commons Library.
INCLUSION OF
PAPERWORK IN
THE DEFINITION
OF "FRONTLINE
DUTIES"
The definition of "front line duties"
includes "incident-related paperwork", but not "non-incident-related
paperwork". We do not propose to remove incident-related
paperwork from the definition of "front line duties".
This definition was agreed jointly between the Home Office, the
Association of Police Authorities, the Association of Chief Police
Officers, No 10 and HM Treasury in 2003.
Incident-related paperwork is defined as time
spent preparing and updating reports, files, tape summaries etc
in connection with a specific incident, including computer-based
paperwork, word-processing and clerical duties.
Successful policing cannot be achieved without
a degree of paperwork. Proper record keeping and case file preparation
is crucial if the service is to manage successful prosecutions,
secure convictions, and gather and disseminate intelligence. Paperwork
is also necessary to ensure accountability in the use of police
powers, and to allow effective management of the workforce.
TIME SPENT
ON PAPERWORK
HAS DECREASED
The table below sets out officer time spent
on incident-related and other paperwork. As you will see, time
spent on paperwork has remained stable since collection began.
Additionally, time spent on paperwork by beat officers decreased
from 18.8% in 2003-4 to 16.5% in 2005-6.
| Year | Time spent on incident-related paperwork
| Time spent on other paperwork | Total time spent on paperwork
|
| 2003-04 | 10.3% | 9.8%
| 20.1% |
| 2004-05 | 9.9% | 8.5%
| 18.4% |
| 2005-06 | 10.8% | 8.5%
| 19.3% |
| | |
|
ACHIEVING FURTHER
REDUCTIONS
Forces can reduce this still further through the deployment
of new technology, workforce modernisation and the creation of
new police staff roles:
1. Reviewing workforce mix
Police officers are a valuable and highly-trained resource,
and should be deployed in positions that make best use of their
skills, training and powers. Forces that have reviewed their workforce
mix and created new roles for civilian staff have already seen
improvements in performance and efficiency and freed officers
from desk jobs and back-office functions.
This has been demonstrated in Northumbria through, amongst
other things, the creation of civilian case management posts,
which has improved both the timeliness and quality of files going
to the CPS.
These concepts will be further tested in the ACPO workforce
modernisation programme. Eleven demonstration site forces will
re-engineer business processes and apply a different workforce
mix across a range of policing activities. The programme will
be subject to a rigorous evaluation process, funded by the Home
Office.
2. Use of mobile data solutions
Many police forces are currently using or testing mobile
data solutions, including PDAs (personal digital assistants—handheld,
or palmtop computers such as Blackberry). Benefits include increased
visibility and time on patrol, more arrests, improved contact
with citizens, improved decision making, improved officer confidence
and safety, and a reduction in back office peaks and troughs.
Thanks to the use of PDAs, over 400 British Transport Police
officers are providing a more visible and effective police presence
on the Underground. The PDAs enable instant criminal history and
address checks, and allow officers to update the incident log
and share intelligence without returning to the station; saving
10-15% of officer time. Stop and search and behaviour screening
activities have increased by 50% and intelligence reporting has
gone up 100%. Following a successful trial, the devices have now
been rolled out to all officers.
SETTING THE
TARGET
Before setting the target, the Home Office looked at performance
in other sectors and range of achievement in the service and,
as for many of our measures, set a target which aimed to close
the gap between the lowest and the highest performance of forces.
Local targets are agreed between the Chief Constable and the police
authority. Increases in front line policing can be scored towards
force efficiency targets.
Following adjustments to the way the measure is calculated,
(in order to take into account concerns raised by police forces),
the 2003-04 baseline changed and the 2007-08 target was revised
from 72.5% to 70.8%. If achieved, this will deliver an increase
in officer time spent on front line activity equivalent to 12,000
officers.
Whilst we are still some way from achieving the national
target for 2007-08, it should be acknowledged that a number of
forces are on track to meet their local targets. I commend these
forces for their progress.
CHANGES TO
THE MEASURE
The measure was introduced in 2003-04 and will run until
2007-08. However, the policing landscape has changed considerably
since 2003-04 when the original measure was developed. Workforce
modernisation has created a number of opportunities for police
staff to carry out roles formerly performed by police officers.
The headline FLP in its current incarnation does not take into
account the increasing contribution made by police staff to frontline,
operational roles. For instance, as I mentioned to the committee,
a number of forces have introduced police staff to custody suites
and other aspects of operational work, and 16,000 PCSOs are providing
a visible presence and supporting the 58,000 officers deployed
to patrol.
For this reason, we are currently reviewing the frontline
policing measure.
OTHER MATTERS
You have also asked about when the new crime strategy to
which I referred (question 52) is to be published. We hope to
publish it in July though, obviously, the final decision will
rest with the new Home Secretary.
The CSR will be published in the autumn. A separate letter
is being sent to you on the issue of consultation on targets.
Finally, fear that I my reply to question 77 may have caused
some confusion so I should like to take this opportunity to set
out exactly the dates in question and, in doing so, expand on
my reply.
The target, as set out in the Budget (2006), was to bring
PCSO recruitment up to 16,000 by the end of April 2007 (and not
March, as I said). This target has been met and is a considerable
achievement by forces. But it is absolutely true that the delivery
of 16,000 PCSOs is only one part of the wider Neighbourhood Policing
Programme, which will ensure that every community has a neighbourhood
policing team by 31 March 2008.
Ahead of that we have also said that by 30 April 2007 communities
could expect to:
— see increased numbers of PCSOs patrolling
their streets, addressing antisocial behaviour issues and building
relationships with local people;
— have information about how their local force
will be policing the local community, and have a point of contact
for their neighbourhood team; and
— have had the opportunity to tell the police
about the issues which are causing them concern and help shape
the response to those issues.
This is exactly what PCSOs and neighbourhood policing teams
are beginning to deliver. But it is not readily measurable on
a numerical basis—it needs a much more subtle analysis.
Progress against these three criteria will be assessed through
various methods. In particular, these criteria are included in
the current assessment of Neighbourhood Policing by Her Majesty's
Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC).
18 June 2007
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